Retrieving a data item annotation in a view

Abstract

A method of retrieving an annotation associated with a data item in a view generated by an information management system querying a data source, includes receiving an output of a query; analyzing the output of the query to identify one or more data items having a data value and an attribute associated therewith; for each identified data value and attribute, identifying a unique value associated with the data value and the attribute, wherein an identified unique value associated with the data value and an identified unique value associated with the attribute forms a unique set of values; identifying from a data store a previously logged set of unique values corresponding to the set of unique values; in response to a positive determination, determining whether the previously logged unique set of values are an associated annotation; and in response to a positive second determination retrieving the annotation from the data store.

1 . A method of retrieving an annotation associated with a data item in a view, wherein the view is generated by an information management system querying a data source, the method comprising:
 receiving an output of a query;   analyzing the output of the query to identify one or more data items, wherein a data item comprises a data value and an attribute associated with the data value;   for each identified data value and attribute, identifying a unique value associated with each of the identified data values and attributes;   identifying from a data store if a data entry that corresponds to the identified unique value;   in response to a positive determination, determining whether the identified unique value is associated with an annotation; and   in response to a positive second determination retrieving the annotation from the data store.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying in a view each of the identified data items and the associated annotation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving the annotation from the data store further comprises mapping each of the unique values associated with each of the identified data values and attributes back to their associated data items as identified in the output to the query and displaying the data items with the associated annotation in a view. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a data item comprises data and the data's associated attribute that have been retrieved by querying a data source. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a data's attributes comprises one or more of column and row headings as displayed in a view. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an annotation comprises one or more of a character string, an integer value, a URL, other pointer or link to an information source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an annotation is associated with a data item at any location in a view. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an annotation is associated with a plurality of data items in one or more views. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data source is a data source that is external to the information management system. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for retrieving an annotation associated with a data item in a view, wherein the view is generated by an information management system querying a data source, the apparatus comprising:
 a first component that receives an output of a query;   a second component that analyzes the output of the query to identify one or more data items, wherein a data item comprises a data value and an attribute associated with the data value;   a third component that for each identified data value and attribute, identifies a unique value associated with each of the identified data values and attributes;   a fourth component that identifies from a data store if a data entry corresponds to the identified unique value;   a fifth component that in response to a positive determination, determines whether the identified unique value is associated with an annotation; and   a sixth component that in response to a positive second determination retrieves the annotation from the data store.   a third component that identifies a unique value associated with each data value and each of the data values' attribute, wherein an identified unique value associated with each data value and each identified unique value associated with the attribute forms a unique set of values;   a fourth component that identifies from a data store a previously logged set of unique values that correspond to the set of unique values;   a fifth component that determines whether the previously logged unique set of values comprise an associated annotation, in response to a positive determination; and   a sixth component that retrieves the annotation from the data store, in response to a positive second determination.   
     
     
         11 . A computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, that when loaded into a computer system and executed by a processor, implement a method of retrieving an annotation associated with a data item in a view, wherein the view is generated by an information management system querying a data source, wherein the storage medium comprises:
 program code for receiving an output of a query;   program code for analyzing the output of the query to identify one or more data items, wherein a data item comprises a data value and an attribute associated with the data value;   for each identified data value and attribute, program code for identifying a unique value associated with each of the identified data value and attributes;   program code for identifying from a data store if a data entry corresponds to the identified unique value;   in response to a positive determination, program code for determining whether the identified unique value is associated with an annotation; and   in response to a positive second determination, program code for retrieving the annotation from the data store.   
     
     
         12 . The storage medium of  claim 11  further comprising program code for displaying in a view each of the identified data items and the associated annotation. 
     
     
         13 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the program code for retrieving the annotation from the data store further comprises program code for mapping each of the unique values within the set of unique values back to their associated data items as identified in the output to the query and displaying the data items with the associated annotation in a view. 
     
     
         14 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein a data item comprises data and the data's associated attributes that have been retrieved by querying a data source. 
     
     
         15 . The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein a data's attributes comprises one or more of column and row headings as displayed in a view. 
     
     
         16 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein an annotation comprises one or more of a character string, an integer value, a URL, other pointer or link to an information source. 
     
     
         17 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein an annotation is associated with a data item at any location in a view. 
     
     
         18 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein an annotation is associated with a plurality of data items in one or more views. 
     
     
         19 . The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the data source is a data source that is external to the information management system. 
     
     
         20 . A method of retrieving an annotation associated with a data item in a view, wherein the view is generated by an information management system querying a data source, the method comprising:
 receiving an output of a query;   analyzing the output of the query to identify one or more data items, wherein a data item comprises a data value and an attribute associated with the data value;   generating an index using at least some of the identified attributes and data values;   using the index to determine if the output of the query is associated with an annotation and;   if the output of the query is associated with an annotation, retrieving the annotation from the data store.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein using the index to determine if the output of the query is associated with an annotation further comprises generating a hash function using the at least some of the identified attributes and data values. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein using the index to determine if the output of the query is associated with an annotation further comprises using both the index and any identified attributes and values not used to generate the hash. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-readable storage medium containing program code for retrieving an annotation associated with a data item in a view, wherein the view is generated by an information management system querying a data source, the storage medium comprising:
 program code for receiving an output of a query;   program code for analyzing the output of the query to identify one or more data items, wherein a data item comprises a data value and an attribute associated with the data value;   program code for generating an index using at least some of the identified attributes and data values;   program code for using the index to determine if the output of the query is associated with an annotation and;   program code for retrieving the annotation from the data store if the output of the query is associated with an annotation,   
     
     
         24 . The storage medium of  claim 23  wherein the program code for using the index to determine if the output of the query is associated with an annotation further comprises program code for generating a hash function using the at least some of the identified attributes and data values. 
     
     
         25 . The storage medium of  claim 24  wherein the program code for identifying if the output of the query is associated with an annotation further comprises program code for using both the index and any identified attributes and values not used to generate the hash.